Expanding Indo-Israel Relations: A Major Shift in West Asia Policy

India is an important player in International Relations and a dominant power of the South Asian region. Israel, though small in size and population is an important Jewish state of West Asia. Mired in controversy since its inception, Israel has valiantly fought for its existence albeit with the unflinching support of British and US arms. Carved out of Palestine-Arab land, Israel was thrust upon the West Asian region as a safe haven for the Jews. The leadership of Indian National Congress sympathized with the Jewish community, who was persecuted by Nazis during the Second World War, but it was not comfortable with the creation of Israel on the Arab land, forcibly taken away from the Palestinians. Taking an ideological position, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and even Mahatma Gandhi opposed the creation of Israel. India voted against its creation in the United Nations. This was despite the fact that historically, India had considerable presence of Jewish population without any anti-Semitism. On the other hand the RSS leadership was always for the creation of Israel and criticised Nehru's foreign policy in this regard. India recognized Israel in 1950 but did not establish diplomatic relations with it till 1992. India always supported the Palestinian Liberation Movement and accorded it the status of a state. Probably India feared the annoyance of Arab countries that were traditional friends and on which it heavily depends for oil. Successive Indian governments also took into consideration the possible backlash from its large Muslim minority if it opens up to Israel. India always stood steadfastly with its traditional Arab friends who had been opposed to the creation and existence of Israel. However after 1960s, under the security exigencies India faced from time to time, it built up strategic relationships with Israel away from the public domain. India and Israel shared intelligence inputs and Israel began to supply arms to India. After 1992, not only diplomatic relations were established but both the countries deeply strengthened strategic relations on the bedrock of countering nuclear powered Iran and Pakistan in the region and international terrorism which is hitting both the countries hard. They have gradually built up economic, strategic, cultural, and technological partnership which has brought them close, albeit at the liking of United States. Israel is now India's second largest arms supplier and a key strategic partner. After the government under the leadership of Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, the relations with Israel have deepened further. The bilateral visits particularly by Indian prime Minister's maiden visit in 2017 and historic visit by the Israel's Prime Minister in 2018 have peaked these relations. This rising partnership has de-hyphenated India's relations with Palestine and Israel. India has given up its previous ideological position and has taken up a pragmatic approach in India's relations with Israel. At times India has to walk a tightrope as on one hand India cannot ignore the Arabs where millions of Indian expats are working and sending billions of dollars back as remittances and on the other it is increasing its dependence on Israel for multifaceted cooperation especially for smart technologies and defence equipment. This is all the more in line as the RSS-BJP had always been supporting a closer tie up with Israel and this dispensation is effectively ruling the country since 2014. This paper is an attempt to understand the shift in India's foreign policy towards West Asia which is no longer guided by any ideological consideration.